


Magic Hands

by AetherSprite (AranthianPrincess)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 08:51:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7633786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AranthianPrincess/pseuds/AetherSprite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a particularly trying battle, Tony decides to help ease some of Steve's tension.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic Hands

**Author's Note:**

> For the “intimacy without sex” square on my bingo card.

Tony watched Steve as the armor opened to allow him to step out then reformed behind him. Their noble leader moved stiffly, dropping his shield and toeing off his boots with a grimace. He stood slowly, reaching for the ceiling far enough to lend a graceful curve to his back, but not even that stretch seemed to help much.

“You got tossed around a lot today, Cap? You sore?” Tony said.

“I'll be fine, Tony,” Steve said, picking up the shield and wandering off toward his room to presumably divest himself of the rest of his clothes.

Tony followed him and waited until they were out of earshot of the rest of the team before presenting his offer.

“You know, there are things I could do to help you out,” he offered, adding a hint of suggestion to his tone. “I'm very willing.”

“Not tonight. I'm not in the mood.”

Tony laughed. “I was just kidding, but I am serious about the offer of help. I'm told I'm good with my hands.” He held his hands up and flexed them to demonstrate.

Steve smiled. “I'm well aware of how good you are with your hands, Tony. But still no.”

“Okay, seriously now.” Tony dropped his hands. “I'm not talking anything sexual. Just trust me, okay? I promise it will help.”

Steve considered him out of the corner of his eye and nodded. “Alright, Tony, but if you try any funny business I will toss you out of my room. Literally.”

“Aw, Steve,” Tony groaned. “Don't tempt me.”

Steve turned away to open his door, but Tony knew there was a grin on his face even if he couldn't see it. Tony followed Steve inside and watched shamelessly as Steve stripped out of his uniform. It landed in a heap on the floor, Steve obviously too tired to bother being more tidy. The uniform had huge tears and a few burn marks on it that Tony would have to repair later. Maybe he would just make Steve a new, better uniform.

“What now?” Steve asked, looking at Tony expectantly.

He stood there in nothing but his briefs and Tony had to look away to keep from getting distracted.

“Lie face-down on the bed and get comfortable. Let me know when you're ready,” Tony instructed.

Steve did as he was told, climbing onto his bed and settling roughly in the middle. He grabbed a pillow, using it to prop up his head and arms, and looked back over his shoulder at Tony.

“This good?”

“Are you comfortable?” Tony asked.

Steve shrugged. “Sure. I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah.”

Tony sighed. “Then it's good, I guess.”

“You guess?” Steve repeated, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Hush, you, or I won't help.”

Steve laughed. “You won't leave. We both know you'll do anything to get your hands on me.”

Tony gave Steve a predatory grin. “You love it when I get my hands all over you.”

“Big talk from a guy who's hands are still on the other side of the room. When is the magic supposed to happen?”

“Oh? I have magic hands now?” Tony said, prowling closer to the bed and climbing onto it.

“We'll see.”

“A challenge!” Tony declared.

He straddled Steve's hips, settling himself to sit on Steve's ass. Tony rubbed his hands together for a couple seconds to warm them up and rested them on Steve's lower back. He trailed his hands up Steve's back to his shoulders and back down again. The strokes were gentle and meant more to ease Steve into relaxing than any serious effort to work out the kinks in his muscles.

“What are you doing?” Steve asked, but he did sound more distracted than before.

“It's a massage. Shush.”

“Is this how you're supposed to do it? I didn't think masseuses sat on their clients.”

“I'm not exactly a professional, Steve,” Tony said. “It's got to be a at least little fun for me. Now hush and try to relax.”

Steve didn't say anything else, so Tony continued. He ran his hands up and down Steve's back, making sure to cover every inch, and along his upper arms as far as he could reach. Slowly, Steve began to relax as the warmth from Tony's hands seeped into his skin. Tony spent several minutes doing this then drew his hands back down Steve's back to rest just above the waist of his briefs and pressed his thumbs into the muscle on either side of Steve's spine. Steve groaned.

Tony ran his hands back toward Steve's shoulders, being sure to keep up a nice, even pressure. Then he followed Steve's spine down again, pressing his palms firmly into the stiff muscles of Steve's back until he reached the hips and allowed his hands to slide horizontally away from the spine. Tony repeated this stroke a few times, running his hands up to Steve's shoulders on the last pass and began kneading them.

Steve occasionally made little sounds of pleasure as Tony massaged the kinks out of his muscles. Steve carried his tension mostly in his shoulders where Tony spent a lot of his time, pressing down on knots with his thumbs until they released. Tony interspersed the shoulder kneading with long strokes down Steve's back and up again just to change it up and give his hands a break. Finally, Steve stopped making noises and grew limp.

Tony thought he must have become so relaxed that he fell asleep so he finished with one slow stroke down Steve's back, more for Tony's benefit than Steve's. Then he leaned down to check on Steve, finding that he was right. Steve had fallen asleep.

Tony moved to get off Steve and was in the middle of swinging his leg over Steve when he felt himself yanked off balance. He landed on the mattress next to Steve with a yelp and turned his head to glare at a laughing Steve, who wrapped an arm around him. Tony allowed Steve to pull him closer, not bothering to hide his disgruntled expression.

“You look like a cat getting dunked in water,” Steve said, still laughing.

“Is that any way to thank someone who just did you a favor?” Tony asked.

“Thank you, Tony.”

Tony shrugged as best he could pressed against Steve. “It wasn't anything special. Just a few tricks I picked up over the years.”

“Still, I appreciate it,” Steve said, nuzzling Tony's cheek. “You're amazing.”

“You're pretty amazing yourself,” Tony said, grinning.

“Spend the night?” Steve asked and pressed a chaste kiss to Tony's cheek.

“Of course,” Tony said. Steve smiled and kissed him properly.


End file.
